Monthly Archives: December 2013

Yesterday my younger brother, cousin, and myself were going through their Christmas gifts trying to decide what we were going to play with. (Yes! I am a shameless BIG KID!).

Among the tablets, gadgets, and electronic gizmos; I saw an old relic – a Trouble board. Sweet salvation! I convinced the boys to let me teach them how to play.

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW HOW TO PLAY TROUBLE, PLEASE SCROLL TO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH!

For those of you who do not know, Trouble is a board game. The game can be played with 2-4 players. Each player is assigned a color which coincides with the color of four pegs. The goal is to get all four of your pieces from the start space, around the board, and safely into the home safety spot, without an opponent landing on your peg, which causes you to start your journey around the board all over. The ability to come out of the starting position is determined by “popping” a 6. There is a round “popper” located in the center of the board, with a die inside of it. The number on the die also determines how many spaces a player is allowed to move

BACK TO THE POINT OF THE BLOG!

Since the game is so simple, I thought these bright young boys would pick it up in no time. To my surprise, through the entirety of the game I found myself having to repeat instructions every time either of them had a turn. One tried to quit, one of them shed a tear or two. I realized while playing that board games taught kids things that you can never learn from temple run or candy crush. Such as:

1. Strategy

Whether it be Monopoly, Trouble, or Scrabble. A board game will force its players to strategically place their pieces. Sometimes you have to buy Mediterranean and Baltic avenue, because even though they are cheap everyone has to pass them (monopoly reference). As a life skill it is imperative to know how to be strategic, especially if you intend to go into business.

2. Delayed Gratification and Patience

Board games are LONG! It is important to understand (in games and in life) that good things come to those who wait.

3. Perseverance

Sometimes you only have one piece on the board and someone sends you all the way back to start. Does this mean the game is over? No, it means you have to stick it out and start over; just another opportunity to finish strong. The best part of getting knocked down is proving you can stand back up.

4. No hard feelings.

There is no harm in playing the game the way it is meant to be played. If you keep letting one person get a pass then you are robbing them of their experience and not giving yourself the opportunity to claim what is rightfully yours.

and lastly,

5. Sometimes you LOSE!

Should you cry about it, sure if you want! But remember that there is ALWAYS a next time. Dry up the tears, be more strategic, wait for your turn, remember that one person’s success is not your failure, and persevere.

This is not a “how to post”, although something tells me there is a small community of people out there dying to learn how to change a diaper at a job interview.

This is about how today my worlds collided and I had to change my son’s diaper at a JOB INTERVIEW. (no worries this should be short)

As some of you may already know I am the 22 year old college graduate who got pregnant her last semester of school. So I find myself on a daily hunt to find a way to be a “stay at home mom” and a young working professional woman all at the same time. Very “startburst: juicy contradiction” of me. I know! Well today I had an interview with the CEO of a website to do some editorial work. Luckily the position is virtual, work from home, and the interview was over the phone.

Either way, while interviewing, I held my son who somehow pee’d through his clothes while i was holding him. So I Changed his outfit and diaper, nursed him, and put him down for a nap. All the while stating my three strongest skills and what are my weaknesses (you know basic interview info). Once it was all over I was nothing but grateful to my 2 month old for staying quiet as a mouse and grateful for the interviewer who did not hang up on me once I told her there was a baby in the room.

The day will come when I can go back to on-site interviewing/working. But until then I am equipped with a pen and pad, laptop, and a full case of wipes. Just goes to show that there is no need for excuses once you realize that nothing is impossible.

A month into my last semester of college, I discovered that I was pregnant.
Wait. let me go back a bit.

Throughout my college career I conquered it all. I completed two internships, started taking graduate courses early, held a job all 4 years, was a resident assistant, senior orientation leader, in MULTIPLE clubs (on the executive board of a few of them) etc, all the while able to have a social life. So when my last year was approaching I was one of few people not afraid of the “real world”.

Then I met fear. A month into my last semester of college I found out I was pregnant. So I started planning, cause that’s what I do to put me at ease. I thought I was ready to take on the pregnancy, until I remembered I had to face people. Telling my family was not a problem, they love me no matter what. But I was so afraid of everyone else, professors, colleagues, peers, even friends and what they would think of me. I was afraid of falling short of the expectations others had set for me.

So I hid.
Not intentionally; and for a while I did not even realize I was hiding. But then people I used to speak to everyday on campus started asking me “where have you been”. Next thing I knew hiding in my dorm room was not enough, so I ran. I started going home every weekend at first, then every week day. I missed classes, meetings, and even called out of my on-campus job a few times.

I thought I would regain my confidence after graduation and reveal to the world my wonderful little secret, but it never happened. I spent my 40 week, 4 day pregnancy afraid to leave the house in fear that I would run into a friend on the street and they would see my huge watermelon sized stomach. I was even too afraid of shame to let people tag me in pictures online and reveal my new identity to the world. And it wasnt because I didnt want to be a mother, Ive always looked forward to being a mom, but I felt that I had let everyone else down.

Then the fears multiplied. I was afraid of labor, afraid of being induced, afraid of epidural, afraid of a c section, afraid of parenting. Worst of all, afraid of letting anyone know i was afraid. Leaving me to fight the battle alone, trying to maintain the front that I was fearless.

In the confines of my mind I was dealing with fears so intense, I was suffering. Then it all happened, and it all happened at once. Everything I was fearing happened all in the same day,
and it was perfect.

All this time what I thought was fear, was success, it was growth, and true accomplishment. I have learned that when you are about to truly face something you are meant to do and become the person you are meant to become, it is not supposed to be easy. True progress is supposed to be so profound that all you want to do is run in the opposite direction, because you know once you embrace it, there is no turning back and nothing will be the same.

I felt it again today as I was putting the finishing touches on my new website (ms.getright.com). What we think is fear is really just us stepping outside of ourselves and shedding old skin. The honor student, multi tasking person I was in college was amazing, sure! But if I allowed myself to believe that graduating and getting a good job was all I could bear then I would have stunted a great potential I never knew I had

This is the one and only Ms. Get Right, and welcome to The Guide to Getting it Right.

My goal is that when you leave here you will have a plan for how you are going to GET YOUR LIFE right. Whether through marketing advice, branding strategies, event planning techniques, food recipes, first time mommy tips, or any of the thrilling topics I am armed and ready to cover.